IMI’s safe house program was born out of grief. In 2020, three rescued teenage trafficking victims died by suicide while waiting for government-provided housing that never came in time. IMI’s answer was to stop waiting: build the housing ourselves.
Today, IMI operates safe houses in Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri, protected homes for trafficking survivors and at-risk individuals. For the safety of the residents, IMI never publishes any location detail beyond the state.
Each safe house follows the City of Refuge model of self-sustainability. The Missouri house, a six-bedroom home, is funded by a coffee shop, storage units, and a retail store, businesses whose income keeps the doors open without depending on grants that can disappear. Every house is partnered with a local church and staffed with support workers and counselors, so that survivors are surrounded by both professional care and a spiritual family.
The need is enormous. Residents of Native American reservations tell IMI that as many as one in five girls, and possibly two in five, die or disappear before the age of 18. Safe houses exist so that a rescue is not the end of the story but the beginning of one.
Churches interested in partnering, volunteers, and donors all have a role to play. Contact IMI to learn how your congregation or your gift can help open the next door.